Malou Beauvoir - Brooklyn Dreaming / Is This Love

Album: Brooklyn Dreaming
Size: 132,3 MB
Time: 57:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Intro - Almost Like Being In Love ( 1:22)
02. Honeysuckle Rose Medley ( 6:27)
03. Cry Me A River ( 5:19)
04. Les Feuilles Mortes ( 7:24)
05. Blues Skies ( 4:01)
06. With You In Mind ( 3:29)
07. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered ( 6:15)
08. You Made A Fool Out Of Me ( 4:05)
09. Smile ( 3:42)
10. Stand By Me Medley (14:59)

Born in Chicago of Haitian parents, raised in New York, Malou is a unique combination of her multi-cultural influences and experiences. Raised among musicians; her brother, Jean Beauvoir, is the renowned hard rock phenomenon - performer/singer/songwriter/producer (The Ramones, Kiss, The Plasmatics), her other brother is a proficient bass player.
At 15 she moved to Paris to attend the American University while pursuing her artistic passions; acting and singing. Her debut single “Waste my Time” was released a few years later.
After her BA she obtained an MBA in the US, and worked her way up the corporate ladder, ultimately becoming Director of Business Development for Southern Europe and Africa for a US-based high-tech company. At the same time, Malou kept her passions going by recording and acting from time to time.
By the end of the 90’s Malou had decided to give up the world of business to concentrate wholly on her singing and acting. She quickly secured engagements in leading venues around the world, including in Dubai, Rio, Beirut, London, and in Paris where she performed for two years as the lead singer at the renowned Paradis Latin. Then, more recording; a featured artist for Universal (Datafolk); M-Tracks; co-writing and recording with artists in diverse styles -- Hip Hop, Dance, House -- co-signing many of her tracks with DJ’s and lending her versatile voice to different productions while continuing to compose on her own.
A chance encounter in a London venue with a jazz drummer led her to sign up for a Jazz course being held in a chateau near Paris in 2006. It was there that she discovered the beauty and freedom of singing jazz. One evening, after one of several dates at the Petit Journal Montparnasse, performing with her R&B band, she wandered into The Swan, a small club to see a friend perform. Fate struck in the person of Jean Chaudron, who immediately upon hearing her sing, proposed to produce a jazz album built around her vocal style.
AN EVENING AT THE SWAN with the Jean Chaudron Trio is the fruit of that collaboration. A subtle cocktail of diverse styles, cultures and musical influences tempered by the warm sensuality of Malou’s voice, the unique musical phrasing of Jean Chaudron on the bass aided by Bernard Désormières’ proficiency on the piano and Alain Bouchaux’s subtle and pervasive style on drums … applied to the great jazz classics.
LIVE at The LIONEL HAMPTON with the Jean Chaudron Quintet is the vibrant memento of a week’s residence at the famed Lionel Hampton Jazz club in Paris. Jeff Hoffman (guitar) and Bobby Rangell (Sax and flute) are added to the explosive cocktail and the result is a soulful, eclectic mix of recordings which retrace the evening’s events.
After a year in New York where Malou concentrates on acting (The Pan Man (theatre) and television, Malou resurfaces in Brussels in 2011 with the Yvan Paduart (piano) who introduces her to the Music Village. She will perform there twice in the following months with the Jean Chaudron trio, with whom she is working on a new album of original tunes. Enamoured of Brussels, the Music Village and the inspiration the offer her, she and Jean Chaudron decide to produce a LIVE at the MUSIC VILLAGE in March 2012.

Brooklyn Dreaming

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Album: Is This Love
Size: 116,3 MB
Time: 50:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. Fragile (3:42)
02. Harlem Blues (5:13)
03. Is This Love (5:18)
04. La Vie En Rose (4:52)
05. Let's Do It Let's Fall In Love (3:15)
06. Loverman (5:51)
07. Nearness Of You (3:53)
08. Papa Damballah (3:46)
09. Skylark (5:12)
10. Teach Me Tonight (3:20)
11. You've Changed (5:34)

Is This Love

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Jerry Weldon - On The Move!

Size: 114,8 MB
Time: 49:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Soul, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Do You Know A Good Thing When You See One (5:52)
02. Black Velvet (7:21)
03. Donald Duck (5:15)
04. Stringin' The Jug (5:19)
05. You've Changed (7:25)
06. There Are Such Things (6:27)
07. Till There Was You (4:57)
08. On The Move! (6:45)

Jerry Weldon is one of today's leading proponents of Soul Jazz who represents the 'bar-walkin', hard-blowing, tenor legends in our contemporary American Jazz scene. Jerry's tenure with the Lionel Hampton Band in the early 80's gave him the experience of his life: developing his performance skills and creating within him the energy and motivation to perform this great music for discriminating audiences worldwide. Today, Jerry continues his big band showmanship with the Harry Connick, Jr. Band where he is featured as a leading instrumentalist in various tunes and in several stage acts. Rarely heard on the west coast with his own bands, Jerry was brought to the west coast by the Jazz Organ Fellowship organization and teamed for this recording with a former Jimmy Smith guitarist, Steve Homan; the original drummer from Herbie Hancock's 'Head-Hunters', Mike Clark; and the remarkable jazz organist from Columbus, Ohio, once hailed as the 'next great Jazz Organist', Bobby Pierce. This stellar group was assembled at the 25th Street Recording Studio in Oakland, CA on Monday, August 10th 2015 and given ample time to discuss the particulars and experience the camaraderie . Tune selection for this recording was done by Jerry himself, from the Illinois Jacquet classic, 'Black Velvet', to the Meredith Willson classic, 'Till There Was You', made popular by Paul McCartney and the Beatles. The simpatico between these musicians was instantaneous as the groove was there from the onset and the shared love of Soul Jazz was evident in each track. Adding greatness to the ever-increasing list of contemporary jazz organ recordings, Jerry's 'On The Move!' will serve to strengthen his reputation as a top-shelf jazz performer and recording star, as well as, span the love for his music from coast to coast. Whether he is rockin' a room in Harlem or reelin' back his horn in an Oakland club, Jerry Weldon is the real deal with energy to spare while he's On The Move!

On The Move!

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Laura Perlman - Precious Moments

Size: 107,3 MB
Time: 46:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. I've Never Been In Love Before (3:28)
02. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face (3:57)
03. But Beautiful (5:08)
04. My Favorite Things (3:49)
05. I'm Old Fashioned (3:24)
06. You Go To My Head (6:51)
07. My Foolish Heart (5:20)
08. On The Street Where You Live (4:51)
09. My One And Only Love (4:52)
10. Every Time We Say Goodbye (4:43)

Life certainly takes us on some unexpected journeys. Laura Perlman had to suffer through some giant health scares before really focusing on her lifelong passion for jazz. The results of that focus are the tracks on Precious Moments, a wonderful CD on which Laura sings some beloved standards. Joining Laura Perlman on this release are some incredibly accomplished jazz musicians, including Bill Cunliffe on piano, Mark Sherman on vibraphone (Sherman also produced the album and did most of the arrangements), Chris Colangelo on bass and Joe La Barbera on drums. There are liner notes by both Laura Perlman and Mark Sherman, in which they talk about Laura’s struggles with cancer. The story of this CD can certainly inspire us, or at least remind us of the brief and fragile state of life, and so encourage us to follow our dreams while we can. But of course what is also important here is the music itself, and you can certainly hear Laura’s passion for these songs in her vocal delivery.

Laura Perlman opens the album with a good rendition of “I’ve Never Been In Love Before,” a song written by Frank Loesser, featured in the musical Guys And Dolls. Laura’s rendition is actually fun, with a bit more spark than many versions I’ve heard. There is a joy in her delivery. “I’ve never been in love before/I thought my heart was safe/I thought I knew the score/But this is wine that’s all too strange and strong/I’m full of foolish song/And out my song must pour.” Those last two lines in particular make this song the perfect choice to begin this CD.

Laura follows that with “I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face,” written by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner (as “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face”) for the musical My Fair Lady. This version is faster and more energetic than usual. There is a nice instrumental section, with lots of good stuff by Mark Sherman on vibraphone and by Bill Cunliffe on piano, ending with a couple of brief but very cool drum solos before Laura Perlman comes back in on vocals. Interestingly, this track also ends with drums. Also from My Fair Lady, Laura tackles “On The Street Where You Live,” with an arrangement by Bill Cunliffe. This rendition has a bright feel.

“But Beautiful” is the first track I heard from this CD, and is the one that got me interested in this artist. It is mellow and intimate, at first just vocals and piano, but then with some gentle work on drums and bass. Laura’s vocals are beautiful and tender. This is a wonderful track, and it is the piano that leads the instrumental section here. “But Beautiful” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke.

“My Favorite Things” is not one of my favorite songs (I’m just not that crazy about the lyrics), but I like what Laura Perlman does with it, especially that short sort of scat section. And the instrumental section is wonderful, including some great work by Joe La Barbera on drums.

One of the CD’s highlights for me is “You Go To My Head.” I love how Laura Perlman takes her vocals from intimate, sexy, vulnerable places to these great heights of confidence and joy. This track also features a delicious lead on bass by Chris Colangelo. “You Go To My Head” was written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The album concludes with “Every Time We Say Goodbye” (often written as “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”), a song by Cole Porter. There is a joy heard here in her vocal approach, even in having to say goodbye.
Not only is Laura an excellent composer and arranger, she has a keen sense for writing music that perfectly suits each film she works on.

After years of being a film music editor with more than 20 years experience, Laura is going back to her first love… music. As a music editor Laura’s credits are extensive (feel free to check imdb.com). Working side by side with some of the best film composers and directors, Laura has the inside track on film scoring. She received 2 Golden Reel nominations for her work as a Supervising Music Editor.

Laura has composed music for several independent films and documentaries. In addition, Laura is currently an adjunct professor teaching sound in film. She has also taught vocal arranging, film music, digital audio and digital signal processing.

Precious Moments

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Roxy Coss - Restless Idealism

Size: 136,3 MB
Time: 58:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Don't Cross The Coss (4:10)
02. Waiting (6:31)
03. Push (5:09)
04. Persperctive (5:28)
05. Breaking Point (7:53)
06. Happiness Is A Choice (5:15)
07. Tricky (6:38)
08. The Story Of Fiona (5:39)
09. Almost My Own (6:41)
10. Recurring Dream (5:16)

An exceptional young talent among millennial jazz musicians, Roxy Coss delivers a strong performance on Restless Idealism, her sophomore album and first for the Seattle-based label Origin Records. Coss, a Washington native, has since relocated to New York, where she has been refining a style that is intricate and sincere, intelligent yet accessible. Much of Restless Idealism, a program of 10 originals, finds her working in the vein of grooving post-bop, a genre for which her brawny tone and impeccable technique are ideally suited. The opener, "Don't Cross The Coss," epitomizes her intrepid approach, featuring a dense, unpredictable melody line that winds and wiggles with linear energy while remaining wholly accessible. "Breaking Point" is another song that challenges expectations even as it works its way into the listener's deep tissue. A former frontline partner to trumpeters Clark Terry and Claudio Roditi, Coss is a musician of strong lyricism and piercing intellect, and her playing on the ballad "Almost My Own" proves just how adept she is at combining the two. Elsewhere in the program, she trades melodic ideas with another standout trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt, whose vivacious style makes him a well-suited partner. Others in the band include pianist Chris Pattishall, guitarist Alex Wintz, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III. It's a tight unit that's ready, willing and able to take on anything. ~by Brian Zimmerman

Restless Idealism

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Dena Taylor - You've Changed

Size: 100,5 MB
Time: 36:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. How High The Moon (2:36)
02. You've Changed (4:34)
03. Silver Wings (3:55)
04. Close Your Eyes (3:04)
05. I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues (2:46)
06. Crazy (4:03)
07. And I Don't Care Who Knows (4:01)
08. Speak Low (4:06)
09. The Masquerade Is Over (7:04)

Teaming up with ©GRAMMY winners, Redd Volkaert & Floyd Domino, this CD taps into Dena's passion for the sophisticated lyrics and music of the American Songbook and includes some unexpected treats in homage to her country roots.

Based in Austin, TX, Dena Taylor is a jazz vocalist who harkens back to the days of smoke filled clubs and smoky voiced chanteuses. Her sound is solid; without a lot of vocal gymnastics in the Jazz Standards she covers. She inhabits the songs and makes them her own – feeling happiness, anger, joy, sorrow, love and hate. She draws listeners in and allows them to relate to these songs all over again. Dena was named “Best Female Jazz Artist of the Year” by Indie Music Channel in 2014.

You've Changed

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Greg Abate & Phil Woods With Tim Ray Trio - Kindred Spirits: Live At Chan's

Size: 150,0+120,2 MB
Time: 64:21+51:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

Disc 1
01. Steeplechase (11:31)
02. House Of Flowers A Sleepin' Bee (11:33)
03. The End Of A Love Affair ( 9:39)
04. Angel Eyes ( 7:45)
05. Cedar's Blues ( 9:21)
06. Willow Weep For Me ( 5:06)
07. Steeplechase (Short Version) ( 4:36)
08. Fried Clams With Bellies ( 1:30)
09. Phil & Sequel (Live) Phil And Sequel ( 2:05)
10. Emotionally Involved ( 0:55)
11. Different Keys ( 0:13)

Disc 2
01. I'll Remember April (9:19)
02. Moonlight In Vermont (9:42)
03. One Touch Of Venus Speak Low (8:53)
04. Strollin' (7:45)
05. Yardbird Suite (9:21)
06. Moonlight In Vermont (Short Version) (5:09)
07. The First One's Free (1:33)

Greg Abate boasts one of hard bop's best-known alto saxophones. In fact, he's earned the nickname "the prince of bebop," which makes perfect sense if you've seen him perform. Phil Woods, another saxophone legend, was widely hailed as one of the prototypical practitioners on the instrument. Together, with the Tim Ray Trio, Abate and Woods whipped up the brand new double CD "Kindred Spirits Live at Chan's." Sadly Woods passed away before this release of sizzling jazz featuring Ray on piano, Mark Walker on drums and John Lockwood on bass. "Kindred Spirits Live at Chan's" incidentally, is dedicated to jazz giant, the great Phil Woods, for his enormous body of work and his contribution to the world of jazz."

Kindred Spirits Disc 1, Disc 2

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Duke Jordan - Tivoli Two

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:05
Size: 117.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1985/1995
Art: Front

[10:43] 1. No Problem
[ 6:37] 2. How Deep Is The Ocean
[ 6:49] 3. All The Things You Are
[ 6:21] 4. Jealous Blues
[ 5:29] 5. I Cover The Waterfront
[13:10] 6. A Night In Tunisia
[ 1:53] 7. Jordu

The second of two recordings, this set also finds the classic bop pianist Duke Jordan being joined by bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Dannie Richmond, live from the Tivoli Gardens in Copehnagen. This time around Jordan interprets three originals (a lengthy "No Problem," a blues and "Jordu" which functions functions as a closing theme) along with three standards. Jordan is heard at the top of his game during these swinging and probing performances. ~Scott Yanow

Tivoli Two

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Ingrid Lucia & The Flying Neutrinos - I'd Rather Be In New Orleans

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:37
Size: 150.2 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz, Retro swing
Year: 1999/2010
Art: Front

[6:01] 1. Delta Bound
[6:48] 2. Barbarin's Second Line
[4:35] 3. Streelight
[4:44] 4. The Passion Song
[5:17] 5. Swimming Pool Blue
[4:27] 6. Marie Laveau
[4:33] 7. Bei Mir Bist Du Schön
[5:50] 8. I Want A Little Girl
[7:50] 9. New Dog Blues
[5:47] 10. Alone In This House
[5:24] 11. I'm In A Hole
[4:16] 12. I'd Rather Be In New Orleans

At first, the Flying Neutrinos come across like a New Orleans variation of the Squirrel Nut Zippers -- which, admittedly, is a clever concept. In all of the swing-revival mania of the late '90s, there wasn't a single band that decided to get loose and bluesy by following swing's cousin, New Orleans jazz and R&B. The New York-based Flying Neautrinos do that, complete with a sultry, Billie Holiday-influenced lead singer, Ingrid Lucia. The difference is, their debut album I'd Rather Be In New Orleans is played completely straight-faced and sober. Apart from a Shel Silverstein tune, there's very little of the novelty that characterizes the swing revolution, which may make the album more enjoyable for some purists. But like their swinging cousins, the Flying Neutrinos appear on record as if they would be a better proposition in a live arena. True, I'd Rather Be in New Orleans is an entertaining album, but it's a bit too mannered -- which is especially frustrating since the best moments suggest that they're a good live band who can be truly captivating in a live setting. On record, they sound a little constrained, especially since they rarely take any risks in their solos, but they never fall into stodginess like many trad-jazz groups. There's enough swing, style and tunes on I'd Rather Be in New Orleans to keep it entertaining, and even if the group never quite transcends its own reverence for the past or develops a signature sound, it's refreshing to hear a younger band play classic New Orleans music after years of rehashed swing. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

I'd Rather Be In New Orleans

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Dave Bennett - Celebrates 100 Years Of Benny

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:25
Size: 142.9 MB
Styles: Clarinet jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[ 8:11] 1. Benny's Bugle
[ 4:17] 2. In A Sentimental Mood
[ 4:20] 3. If I Had You
[ 2:23] 4. My Funny Valentine
[ 4:14] 5. That's A Plenty
[ 4:47] 6. Stompin' At The Savoy
[ 4:11] 7. Moonlight In Vermont
[12:05] 8. I Got Rhythm
[ 4:52] 9. Poor Butterfly
[13:01] 10. Sing, Sing, Sing

Dave Bennett's debut as a leader celebrates the centennial of the birth of Benny Goodman, who left an extensive record legacy during his long career. The danger in doing such a tribute is overtly copying Goodman's style, which Bennett manages to avoid. He also helps himself by utilizing a variety of groups: a trio with veteran pianist Dick Hyman (a former Goodman sideman) and drummer Ed Metz, Jr., a pianoless trio with Bucky Pizzarelli (another Goodman sideman) and bassist Jerry Bruno, along with live tracks featuring a sextet with (vibraphonist Jim Cooper, guitarist Hugh Leal, bassist Paul Keller, drummer Pete Siers, and pianist Bill Meyers) and one quartet track omitting Keller and Leal. Bennett has plenty of chops on his instrument but doesn't hog the program (like Goodman sometimes did), generously featuring his sidemen. The trio tracks stand out, especially the rousing "Sing, Sing, Sing!" with Hyman and Metz and the lush treatment of "In a Sentimental Mood" with Pizzarelli (a consummate, lyrical accompanist) and Bruno. The sextet performance of "Stompin' at the Savoy" is also a crowd pleaser. Expect to hear more from Dave Bennett. ~Ken Dryden

Celebrates 100 Years Of Benny

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Harvey Mandel - Cristo Redentor

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:07
Size: 103.3 MB
Styles: Psychedelic blues-rock-jazz guitar
Year: 1968/2014
Art: Front

[7:47] 1. Wade In The Water
[4:50] 2. Lights Out
[3:15] 3. Bradley's Barn
[4:17] 4. You Can't Tell Me
[3:36] 5. Nashville 1 A.M
[3:45] 6. Cristo Redentor
[6:27] 7. Before Six
[4:37] 8. The Lark
[3:46] 9. Snake
[2:43] 10. Long Wait

Mandel's debut remains his best early work, introducing an accomplished blues-rock guitarist capable of producing smooth, fluid lines and a variety of tasteful distortion and buzzing via an assortment of tone pedals and customized amplifiers. He augmented his flash with an adventurous appetite for orchestrated, quasi-classical strings (especially in the eerie symphonic title cut), jazz-blues-rock fusion in the mold of The Electric Flag (as on "Before Six"), and even a bit of country in the presence of top steel guitarist Pete Drake. Available in its entirety on the reissue compilation The Mercury Years. ~Richie Unterberger

Cristo Redentor

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The Tony Corbiscello Big Band - In Full Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:35
Size: 95.2 MB
Styles: Big band, Swing
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. Close As Pages In A Book
[2:42] 2. That Old Feeling
[2:19] 3. I'll Never Say Never Again Again
[2:06] 4. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week)
[3:41] 5. But Not For Me
[4:18] 6. Dream
[2:31] 7. Margie
[3:56] 8. When The Sun Comes Out
[2:25] 9. Bikini Bossa
[2:40] 10. Have You Met Miss Jones
[2:14] 11. Johnnie's Theme
[2:45] 12. Lady Of Spain
[2:59] 13. Lover
[4:21] 14. Around Town

Chosen as the orchestra to open at all the stops on Frank Sinatra's final tour, Tony Corbiscello's 16-piece big band pulls out the stops on a play list of 14 tunes. There are also three originals by Marion Evans who also did the arrangements that are not only tasteful but diverse; for example, they don't all sound the same. Stocked with players from the New York area and driven by leader Corbiscello's drums, this album is replete with well-drilled ensemble playing as well as refreshing and timely solos. The session is further enhanced by the presence of A-one guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli on "Lover," "Dream," "Around Town," and, especially, "But Not for Me" played jam session style. The latter track is one of the highlights of the session opening with Corbiscello's brushes playing behind the subtle piano of veteran Ben Aronov fading to the ensemble with Corbiscello's drums still hanging on. Pizzarelli comes in to take a couple of choruses followed by an unidentified trombone player. That's a major failing with this CD, the failure to identify those responsible for the excellent solo work. The band can play sweet without sounding maudlin as shown on "Dream," which opens with a trumpet with a mixture of Harry James and Charlie Spivak licks. "When the Sun Comes Out" borrows from Stan Kenton, including the trombone figures Kenton occasionally used to end his tunes. While Evans' arrangements are pleasant and varied, if not imaginative, his original material sounds somewhat dated, lacking vibrancy. The best of the bunch is "Bikini Bossa" featuring Aronov's piano. The barnburner on this set is, not surprisingly, the Richard Rodgers/Larry Hart classic "Lover" replete with the Maynard Ferguson-like screaming trumpet and Pizzarelli hot jazz guitar within a Les Brown-type arrangement. Ordinarily just providing a bit more than 40 minutes of music is a cause for complaint. In this case, more might have been overkill from this high-powered aggregation. In Full Swing is recommended. ~Dave Nathan

In Full Swing

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Bob Brookmeyer - The Street Swingers

Styles: Piano Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:39
Size: 181,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. Arrowhead
(6:21)  2. Street Swingers
(6:04)  3. Hot Buttered Noodling
(8:51)  4. Musicale De Jour
(5:26)  5. Raney Day
(5:07)  6. Jupiter
(4:40)  7. Rocky Scotch
(5:07)  8. Under The Lilacs
(5:49)  9. They Say It's Wonderful
(4:49) 10. Potrezebie
(5:46) 11. Revelation
(4:29) 12. Star Eyes
(4:25) 13. Nobody's Heart
(4:38) 14. Loup-Garou

Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer (who also plays some piano on this long out-of-print Pacific Jazz LP) teams up with guitarists Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney, bassist Bill Crow and drummer Osie Johnson for six group originals. The tunes are fairly basic and all of the cool-toned musicians are up-to-par on the lightly swinging material. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/street-swingers-mw0000868935

Personnel: Bob Brookmeyer (piano), Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney (guitar), Bill Crow (bass), Osie Johnson (drums)

The Street Swingers

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Charmaine Clamor - Searching For The Soul

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:19
Size: 124,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. Come Sunday
(4:02)  2. My Romance
(4:45)  3. Since I Fell For You
(4:01)  4. I'm In The Mood For Love
(4:45)  5. The Very Thought Of You/Tenderly
(5:12)  6. Neither One Of Us
(3:43)  7. It Don't Mean A Thing
(4:10)  8. I Live To Love You
(3:27)  9. Remember
(2:07) 10. You And I
(3:44) 11. You'll Never Know
(4:54) 12. Please Send Me Someone To Love
(5:02) 13. The Nearness Of You

"Charmaine literally 'breathes love' into old standards. She makes you want to be in love if you're not already." ~  R. LaRue, Jazz News

"When Charmaine Clamor's warm, luscious contralto slips into a rhythmically seductive version of "I'm in the Mood for Love" or purrs through the tender lyrics of "The Very Thought of You," there's no doubt that a first-rate jazz talent is present. Her first album, "Searching for the Soul" (2005), announced the arrival of an impressive new vocal artist who worked her magic with material including Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday," Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love," Rodgers and Hart's "My Romance" and Gordon and Warren's "You'll Never Know." ~ Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times

"Blessed with a 'bedroom eyes' voice, Charmaine Clamor has put out a lovely and eclectic collection...Clamor proves she is able to handle the standards with aplomb. The jewels of 'Searching for the Soul,' however, are the originals. Charmaine Clamor could shake the world with originals like these. In a musical world filled with canaries, we beg Clamor for more new material." ~  George Harris, All About Jazz
Editorial Reviews  

http://www.amazon.com/Searching-Soul-Charmaine-Clamor/dp/B000BZ4VV8

Searching For The Soul

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Bill Evans, Don Elliott - Tenderly - An Informal Session

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:08
Size: 133,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. Tenderly
(4:21)  2. I'll Take Romance
(7:14)  3. Laura
(5:09)  4. Blues # 1
(4:12)  5. I'll Know
(1:41)  6. Like Someone In Love
(0:59)  7. Love Letters
(1:45)  8. Thou Swell
(5:49)  9. Airegin
(5:26) 10. Everything Happens To Me
(8:15) 11. Blues # 2
(2:24) 12. Stella By Starlight
(3:03) 13. Funkallero

Subtitled ‘An Informal Session’ this mid-1950s meeting between Evans and Elliott transpired in the latter’s home studio. Never intended for release, listeners expecting a tightly cropped and polished studio date are likely to be disappointed. Fortunately Fantasy producer Eric Miller opted to leave those extraneous noises that did not directly compromise the music in the mix. The result is voyeuristic snapshot of two musicians playing purely for their own enjoyment, working out tunes on the spot and tinkering expressively with standard and blues building blocks.

Subtitled ‘An Informal Session’ this mid-1950s meeting between Evans and Elliott transpired in the latter’s home studio. Never intended for release, listeners expecting a tightly cropped and polished studio date are likely to be disappointed. Fortunately Fantasy producer Eric Miller opted to leave those extraneous noises that did not directly compromise the music in the mix. The result is voyeuristic snapshot of two musicians playing purely for their own enjoyment, working out tunes on the spot and tinkering expressively with standard and blues building blocks.

Numerous standards from Evans evolving songbook are on display, starting with a choppy, but spirited reading of “Tenderly.” Elliott joins in for the first several minutes on vibes, but soon drops out leaving the pianist to explore the melody in isolation. Several false starts marked by luminous washes of melodic color from Elliott preface “Laura” and the vibraphonist takes the initial lead before relinquishing control again to Evans dancing chords. He returns later in the piece voicing some intriguing vocal percussion effects that simulate the sounds of high hat clip clops and staccato rim shots. Evans answers in between with a series of angular fills and at times Elliott’s pedal sustain tests the sonic edges of the session microphones creating brittle echo that contrasts nicely with the pianist’s more lyrical passages. Later explorations follow an analogous pattern with one man getting the ball rolling and the other joining soon after to keep the inertial flow free from obstacles with mixed success. Evans runs a solitary race on a handful pieces too such as the lovely “Everything Happens to Me” and a series of fragmentary renderings starting with “Like Someone In Love” and ending with “Thou Swell.”

Numerous standards from Evans evolving songbook are on display, starting with a choppy, but spirited reading of “Tenderly.” Elliott joins in for the first several minutes on vibes, but soon drops out leaving the pianist to explore the melody in isolation. Several false starts marked by luminous washes of melodic color from Elliott preface “Laura” and the vibraphonist takes the initial lead before relinquishing control again to Evans dancing chords. He returns later in the piece voicing some intriguing vocal percussion effects that simulate the sounds of high hat clip clops and staccato rim shots. 

Evans answers in between with a series of angular fills and at times Elliott’s pedal sustain tests the sonic edges of the session microphones creating brittle echo that contrasts nicely with the pianist’s more lyrical passages. Later explorations follow an analogous pattern with one man getting the ball rolling and the other joining soon after to keep the inertial flow free from obstacles with mixed success. Evans runs a solitary race on a handful pieces too such as the lovely “Everything Happens to Me” and a series of fragmentary renderings starting with “Like Someone In Love” and ending with “Thou Swell.” ~ Derek Taylor  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/tenderly-bill-evans-fantasy-jazz-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Bill Evans- piano; Don Elliott- vibes, percussion.

Tenderly - An Informal Session

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Bud Freeman - Satin Doll

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:57
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Here's That Rainy Day
(5:22)  2. The Man I love
(5:34)  3. Bewitched
(5:24)  4. But Not For Me
(5:11)  5. Satin Doll
(4:32)  6. Easy to Love
(6:08)  7. I Cover the Waterfront
(4:17)  8. Please

When Bud Freeman first matured, his was the only strong alternative approach on the tenor to the harder-toned style of Coleman Hawkins and he was an inspiration for Lester Young. Freeman, one of the top tenors of the 1930s, was also one of the few saxophonists (along with the slightly later Eddie Miller) to be accepted in the Dixieland world, and his oddly angular but consistently swinging solos were an asset to a countless number of hot sessions.

Freeman, excited (as were the other members of the Austin High School Gang in Chicago) by the music of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, took up the C-melody sax in 1923, switching to tenor two years later. It took him time to develop his playing, which was still pretty primitive in 1927 when he made his recording debut with the McKenzie-Condon Chicagoans. Freeman moved to New York later that year and worked with Red Nichols' Five Pennies, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Ben Pollack, Joe Venuti, Gene Kardos, and others. 

He starred on Eddie Condon's memorable 1933 recording "The Eel." After stints with Joe Haymes and Ray Noble, Freeman was a star with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra and Clambake Seven (1936-1938) before having a short unhappy stint with Benny Goodman (1938). He led his short-lived but legendary Summe Cum Laude Orchestra (1939-1940) which was actually an octet, spent two years in the military, and then from 1945 on, alternated between being a bandleader and working with Eddie Condon's freewheeling Chicago jazz groups. Freeman traveled the world, made scores of fine recordings, and stuck to the same basic style that he had developed by the mid-'30s (untouched by a brief period spent studying with Lennie Tristano). Bud Freeman was with the World's Greatest Jazz Band (1968-1971), lived in London in the late '70s, and ended up back where he started, in Chicago. He was active into his eighties, and a strong sampling of his recordings are currently available on CD. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bud-freeman-mn0000533843/biography

Personnel:  Bud Freeman (saxophone);  Georges Arvanitas (organ);  George Collier (drums);  Pierre Michelot (bass).

Satin Doll

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Atsuko Hashimoto Organ Trio & Voices - Songs We Love

Size: 161,6 MB
Time: 69:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz/Blues: Hammond Organ, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Ladybug (6:22)
02. Bye Bye Blackbird (4:25)
03. My Ship (5:21)
04. You Don't Know What Love Is (4:02)
05. Misty (5:21)
06. The Song Is You (4:46)
07. Nature Boy (7:30)
08. Ruggin' The Blues (4:37)
09. What's Going On (4:50)
10. The More I See You (6:33)
11. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (3:47)
12. God Bless The Child (5:56)
13. Stormy Monday (5:31)

Personnel:
Atsuko Hashimoto: B3 Hammond Organ
Yutaka Hashimoto: Guitar
Juasa Kanoh: Drums

Voices:
Elijah Levi
Harvey Thompson
Toni Scruggs

'Songs We Love' is a fitting title for a project that brings together Osaka's finest husband and wife jazz team with three outstanding vocalists from the U.S. Songs abound on this recording, but the operative word here is love. The love the Hashimoto's inspire, reflected in the reverent yet playful way they approach their craft, goes a long way toward explaining why others are so eager to share their talents in creating music with them.

Atsuko began to explore the B3 at an early age starting with popular songs and cutting her teeth on such jazz classics as Duke Ellington's Take the A Train. She studied classical music for several years before choosing to dedicate herself to jazz music and the jazz organ.

At age 18 she started working for Hammond Japan, giving live organ demonstrations and instructing as a Hammond-certified teacher. She quickly developed a reputation for her skills at the B3, creating complex melodic and harmonic compositions over a consistent, inventive and hard-swinging bass-line.

Atsuko brings a freshness to the jazz repertory and the Hammond B3 through her innovative approach to the instrument. She has played with jazz greats before large audiences, her joy in music, sense of play and abundant personal warmth shining through her mastery of the idiom while exercising the full range of voices and dynamics available to the Hammond/Leslie combo.

Songs We Love 

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Jimmy Gourley - The Jazz Trio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:10
Size: 126.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1983/2006
Art: Front

[5:25] 1. Montagne Madness
[5:38] 2. Shameful Roger
[5:27] 3. Orgy Valley (Orgeval)
[6:11] 4. You Go To My Head
[5:25] 5. Ladybird
[4:57] 6. Wrong Man Blues
[6:03] 7. I Thought About You
[5:27] 8. Day By Day
[5:27] 9. Orgy Valley (Alternate Take)
[5:06] 10. Ladybird

A bebopping guitarist with a solid enough rhythmic edge for R&B, Jimmy Gourley came from a family background that more than just leaned toward conservatory training. Gourley's father actually founded the Monarch Conservatory of Music itself, located in Hammond, IN. Gourley was still popping pimples when he began bumping up against would-be boppers: one of the guitarist's high-school mates was none other than Lee Konitz, a wizard on the alto saxophone but at that point toting a tenor to high-school band class.

Heading south, Gourley went on his first tours in commercial outfits combing the territory of Louisiana and Arkansas. From 1944 through 1946 he shipped out with the Navy. When he returned he picked up a job in Chicago replacing the equally fine guitarist Jimmy Raney in a combo led by the somewhat obscure Jay Burkhart. In the late '40s Gourley was still keeping Windy City company but the names became more prominent, including singers Anita O'Day and the duo of Jackie Cain and Roy Kral.

The '50s would be best described as the guitarist's French period. Basing himself out of Paris, Gourley was associated mostly with Henri Renaud as well as his own house band stints at various clubs. Excellent recording sessions during this period present the guitarist in the company of tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce, trumpeter Clifford Brown, drummer Roy Haynes, and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, not to mention homeboy Konitz. There was a dash back to Chicago during this decade but Gourley primarily spent his time in Paris, a long run as one of the local accompanists at the Blue Note allowing him the opportunity to continue associating with the cream of the jazz crop.

Gourley shows up on in one classic film on jazz, the noted 'Round Midnight, his featured number perhaps asking a question directly about his career, "How Long Has This Been Goin' On?" About a decade later, his own liner notes described him as "still searching, still stumbling" in a session involving his regular trio with drummer Philippe Combelle and bassist Dominique Lemerle. The guitarist is considered one of the most accomplished members of the jazz expatriate community. ~ Eugene Chadbourne

The Jazz Trio

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Bennie Green - Come Sunrise

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:24
Size: 179.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Trombone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. You're Mine You
[5:32] 2. Can't We Be Friends
[5:32] 3. All I Do Is Dream Of You
[5:31] 4. Melba's Mood
[8:58] 5. See See Rider
[6:49] 6. Congo Lament
[4:26] 7. Encore
[6:24] 8. That's All
[5:43] 9. Green Leaves
[5:24] 10. Bye Bye Blackbird
[6:00] 11. Lullaby Of The Doomed
[6:43] 12. This Love Of Mine
[6:01] 13. I Love You

Bennie Green was one of the few trombonists of the 1950s who played in a style not influenced by J.J. Johnson (Bill Harris was another). His witty sound and full tone looked backwards to the swing era yet was open to the influence of R&B. After playing locally in Chicago, he was with the Earl Hines Orchestra during 1942-1948 (except for two years in the military). Green gained some fame for his work with Charlie Ventura (1948-1950) before joining Earl Hines' small group (1951-1953). He then led his own group throughout the 1950s and '60s, using such sidemen as Cliff Smalls, Charlie Rouse, Eric Dixon, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes, Sonny Clark, Gildo Mahones, and Jimmy Forrest. Green recorded regularly as a leader for Prestige, Decca, Blue Note, Vee-Jay, Time, Bethlehem, and Jazzland during 1951-1961, although only one further session (a matchup with Sonny Stitt on Cadet in 1964) took place. Bennie Green was with Duke Ellington for a few months in 1968-1969 and then moved to Las Vegas, where he spent his last years working in hotel bands, although he did emerge to play quite well at the 1972 Newport Jazz Festival and in New York jam sessions. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Come Sunrise

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Beady Belle - Belvedere

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:58
Size: 89.2 MB
Styles: Neo-soul, Contemporary R&B, Vocal jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. Apron Strings
[5:05] 2. A Touch Of Paradise
[4:51] 3. Tower Of Lament
[4:18] 4. Self-Fulfilling
[4:23] 5. Tranquil Flight
[3:35] 6. Intermission Music
[3:41] 7. Viscous Ocean
[4:28] 8. Boiling Milk
[3:55] 9. Two-Faced

Beady Belle is one of the favorite bands of the jazz star Jamie Cullum. That's why he sings on Beady Belle's new album, on the duet "Intermission music". * Also the the American soul star, India. Arie, is one of Beady Belle's biggest fans. She also sings on "Belvedere", on the duet "Self-fulfilling". Beady Belle has played over 180 concerts in over 100 cities in over 20 countries.

Belvedere

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Benny Goodman - Easy Does It!

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1952
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 24:15
Size: 78,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Henderson Stomp
(3:09)  2. Makin' Whoopee
(2:52)  3. Sweet Georgia Brown
(2:58)  4. Behave Yourself
(3:06)  5. I Never Knew
(3:03)  6. Puttin' On The Ritz
(3:17)  7. I Can't Get Started
(3:04)  8. That's A Plenty

For a kid who liked jazz, Chicago was a great town to grow up in. Musicians had begun working their way north from New Orleans about the turn of the century, and by the early 1920s giants like "Jellyroll" Morton, Sidney Bechet, "King" Oliver and Louis Armstrong were playing in Chicago and making history. Kids who paid attention to this development were going to make history themselves in a few more years - Bud Freeman, Davie Tough, Eddie Condon, Milt Mesirow (Mezz Mezzrow), Gene Krupa, "Muggsy" Spanier, Jimmy McPartland, Jess Stacy - and a kid in short pants who played the clarinet. Benny Goodman was only 10 when he first picked up a clarinet. Only a year or so later he was doing Ted Lewis imitations for pocket money. At 14 he was in a band that featured the legendary Bix Beiderbecke. By the time he was 16 he was recognized as a "comer" as far away as the west coast and was asked to join a California-based band led by another Chicago boy, Ben Pollack. Goodman played with Pollack's band for the next four years. His earliest recording was made with Pollack, but he was also recording under his own name in Chicago and New York, where the band had migrated from the west coast. In 1929, when he was just 20, Benny struck out on his own to become a typical New York freelance musician, playing studio dates, leading a pit orchestra, making himself a seasoned professional. 

By 1934 he was seasoned enough to be ready for his first big break. He heard that Billy Rose needed a band for his new theatre restaurant, the Music Hall, and he got together a group of musicians who shared his enthusiasm for jazz. They auditioned and got the job. Then Benny heard that NBC was looking for three bands to rotate on a new Saturday night broadcast to be called "Let's Dance," a phrase that has been associated with the Goodman band ever since. One band on the show was to be sweet, one Latin, and the third hot. The Goodman band was hot enough to get the job, but not hot enough to satisfy Benny. He brought in Gene Krupa on drums. Fletcher Henderson began writing the arrangements - arrangements that still sound fresh more than a half century later. And the band rehearsed endlessly to achieve the precise tempos, section playing and phrasing that ushered in a new era in American music. There was only one word that could describe this band's style adequately: Swing. After six months of broadcasting coast to coast the band was ready for a cross-country tour. The band was ready but the country was not. The tour was a disaster until its last date in August, 1935, at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. The only plausible explanation for what happened there is that "Let's Dance" was aired three hours earlier on the west coast than in the east. The kids in Los Angeles had been listening, and thousands of them turned out to hear the band in person at the Palomar. They hadn't even come to dance; instead they crowded around the bandstand just to listen. It was a new kind of music with a new kind of audience, and their meeting at the Palomar made national headlines.

When the band headed east again, after nearly two months at the Palomar, they were famous. They played for seven months at the Congress Hotel in Chicago, where Teddy Wilson joined them to complete the Benny Goodman Trio. Back in New York Lionel Hampton made it the Benny Goodman Quartet, and the band was a sensation at the Hotel Pennsylvania's Madhattan Room. The band made it even bigger at the Paramount Theatre, where lines began forming at breakfast time and continued through the last daily show. It was grueling for the kids who waited for hours to dance in the aisles. It was more grueling for the band; they returned each night to the Madhattan Room for still more swing. At the age of 28 Benny Goodman had reached what seemed to be the pinnacle of success. The new radio program, "The Camel Caravan," was scheduled in prime time, and the whole nation listened not only to the band itself but to the intelligent commentary by some of the most influential critics of the day, including Clifton Fadiman and Robert Benchley. But it was not quite the pinnacle. On January 16, 1938, Sol Hurok, the most prestigious impresario in America, booked the Benny Goodman band into Carnegie Hall. For generations Carnegie Hall had been the nation's greatest temple of musical art, home of the New York Philharmonic and scene of every important artist's debut (even if they had played in a hundred other concert halls first).

So this was a debut not only for Benny Goodman but for jazz. Though many others followed him to Carnegie Hall, there has never been another concert with such an impact. It even made his "classical" Carnegie Hall debut more newsworthy a few years later when Benny returned there to launch his second career, as a soloist with major symphony orchestras and chamber groups. Benny Goodman was indisputably the King of Swing - the title was invented by Gene Krupa - and he reigned as such thereafter until his death in 1986 at age 77. Over the years he played with the greatest figures in jazz: Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Mildred Bailey, Bessie Smith and countless others. Many of those who played with him as sidemen later achieved fame as leaders of their own bands, as soloists, or even as movie or TV actors - Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton to name a few. 

A list of Benny's hits would fill a book. In fact it filled several books by his devoted discographer/biographer Russ Connor. That crowded career, spanning more than six decades, had an almost unparalleled impact on popular music and the importance of the clarinet in both jazz and classical music. Thousands of youngsters throughout the world were influenced to play the clarinet through listening to Benny Goodman's recordings and live performances, and the style of those who turned to jazz was universally patterned after what they heard Benny play, whether or not they realized it. The popularity of the "big band" format is another of the legacies of this musical giant. http://www.bennygoodman.com/about/biography.html

Personnel: Benny Goodman - clarinet & bandleader; Mel Powell, James Rowles, Jess Stacy – piano;  Tom Romersa, Bill Douglass – drums;  Artie Shapiro, Harry Babasin – bass;  Allan Reuss, Al Hendrickson – guitar;  Red Norvo – vibes;  Jake Porter – trumpet;  Ernie Felice - accordion

Easy Does It!

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